Gold-saving device.



PATBNTE'D SEPT. -8, 190s.,

NO MODEL UNITED y STATES Patented, September 8, 1963.

PATENT OEEICE.

PHILIP H. CARLYON, OF OLYMPIA, VASHINGTON.

GOLD-SAVING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Pate-nt No. 738,291, datedSeptember 8, 1903. Application filed January 3,1900. Serial No. 277. (Nomodel.)

To LU whom t 'nw/y concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP H. CARLYON, a citizen oi' the United States,residing at Olympia, in the county of Thurston and State of "Washington,have invented an Improved Gold-Saving Device, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description.

,Myinvention has for its object the construetion of an improvedapparatus for separating, extracting, and saving all pieces, particles,or grains of gold in a free state from sand, gravel, pulp, or othercomminuted substances capable oi' being mixed with, suspended in, andcarried by moving water.

The invention consists, primarily, in a series of covered iron or steelbowls connected by pipes made or formed of material suitable Aforconducting the contents to the first bowl of the series and from saidbowl to the second bowl, and so on. l i

It consists, further, in the employment oi an automatic mercury trap orcatcher.

The invention will be best understood upon reference to Vtheaccompanying drawings, wheren- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View ofthe apparatus complete, taken on the line oc x of Fig. 2; and Fig. 2 isa horizontal section taken on the line 1y y of Fig. 1.

In the construction illustrated it will be noted that three pans orbowls are employed, as indicated by the reference-numerals 1, 2, and 3.Each bowl is provided at its bottom with avent-opening,l closed byasuitable plug 1l, and with a suitable cover 5, which makes when inplace a water-tight joint with the flange of the bowl. A hand-hole G isalso provided in each cover. v Referring more particularly to bowl l,it` will be seen that the material carrying the.

gold in suspension enters therein through a pipe 7, the lower ordischarge end oi' which comes closeto the bottom of the bowl, to oneside of the center thereof, so that the material forced in through saidpipe 7 is caused to strike the curved bottom of the bowl or pan and isthrown up in a stream to the opposite side. Connected to said pipe andstanding in a horizont-al plane at one side thereof are two trays orscreens 8 and 9, the trays being perforated, as shown in Fig. 2, andsupported atttheir opposite side by rod or bar 10,

left stand at approximately the samedistance from the wall of the bowl.This in a measure serves to direct the current as it passes in throughpipe 7 upwardly in the direction indicated by the arrow in bowl 1.

A pipe 11 extends from bowl 1, through the cover thereof, into bowl 2.The exit of pipe 11 from bowl 1 is at one side thereof and, as will benoted, at a point where the water or the like carrying the gold-bearingmatter in suspension is in a relatively quiet state, or, in other words,the exit connection is made at a point out of line with the currentgenerated or caused by the discharge V from the mouth of pipe 7; Thepipe 1l is extended into the bowl, to the center thereof, and at thelower end ofthe pipe there is formed or provided a conicaldischarge-mouth 12. ln the lower portion of bowl 2 is placed mercury, asindicated by the referencemumeral13, and placed upon said mercury is anamalgamatedcopper float 14, perforated as shown in Fig. 2, said floatcarrying a conical-shaped member or deiiector 15.

The exit-pipe lii-passes centrally from the cover of bowl 2 over anddown into bowl 3, entering said bowl, as will be noted, to one side ofits center. this bowl free mercury 1'7 is placed, in which float solidcopper balls 18. llollow copper balls or spheres 1f) are also placed inbowl 3 and by reason or their superior buoyancy will be maintained inthe upper part oli said bowl or chamber when the material ispassingltherethrough.

A screen 20, preferably dished or depressed, as shown in Fig. 1, issecured in an opening formed centrally in the cover of bowl Mounted oversaid screen and secured to the cover is a conical member 2l an dextending up from said member is a `pipe or conduit 22, in the lower endof which is secured a screen In the chamber formed by the screens 20 23and the conical member 21 are placeda number of amalgamated-copper balls24.

Surrounding the upper end of the pipe 22 is a mercury trap or chamber25, provided with an exit 26, which is protected by a'screen 27. Theupper end of the pipe 22 is also pro- In the lower portion ofV ICO videdwith a screen 28, and a perforated pan 29 extends outwardly from theupper end of the pipe to the inner wall of the chamber 25, said panbeing formed of amalgamated copper. Solid amalgamated-copper balls 30are placed in said pan.

Extending from the bottom of chamber v is a pipe 31, which communicatesat its lower end with the bowl 3, as shown in Fig. 1. In said pipe thereis formed an enlarged chamber 32, in which is mounted and works aballvalve 33. Normally the valve rests upon its seat and closes thepipe, but rises therefrom to permit free mercury to pass back through tothe chamber or pan 3, as will be hereinafter set forth.

The screens herein referred -to and also the bowls or pans and theconduit-pipes will be formed of iron or steel or some similar substancenot subject io the amalgamating effect of mercury.

The particular arrangement of the pans and connectingpipes herein shownis to be taken as merely illustrative, as it is apparent that they maybe arranged in various ways and corresponding or suitable conduitsordischarge-pipes provided as occasion or situation may require.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: rIhe gold bearing materialand the water` which conveys it pass into bowl 1 through pipe 7 andbeing discharged from.

the lower end of said pipe against the spherical bottom of the bowl areforced upwardly and laterally, following. the curve of the bowl untilmeeting the cover 5, which turns the mixture toward the center over theperforated trays 8 and 9. by this action the heavier and unbrokenparticles of the material are caused to drop out of the relatively stillwater over and through the trays S and 9 into the lower current, againto be thrown against the cover. This action is repeated over and overuntil the particles are disintegrated and broken up, releasing andcleaning the gold contained in or attached to them. The material thustreated in bowl 1 passes through pipe 11 into bowl 2, being dischargedthrough the conical orifice or mouth 12, striking the cone 15 and thefloat 14, thereby spreading and dividing the gold-bearing materialsuspended in the water over the amalgamatingsurface of the cone and thefloat. The gold-bearing material and water are thence carried throughthe pipe 16 to bowl 3, the discharge end of the pipe being extended welltoward the bottom of the bowl,where the goldbearing material and waterare forced through and in contact with the solid amalgamated ballsimmersed in the free mercury. rlhence it passes around thespherical-shaped bottom of the bowl to the screen 20, located centrallyof the cover. In passing to said screen the material must come intocontact with the floating amalgamated-copper spheres or balls 19,thusfurnishing additional amalgamating-surface to which the hner floatgold attaches itself. The gold-bearing material and water pass throughthe screen up through the conical member or chamber 21 and in so doingcome in contact with the solid amalgamatedcopper balls 24 containedtherein, by which additional amalgamating-surface for the gold ispresented and the passage of free mercury obstructed. The materialpassing up through the pipe 22 enters the chamber or mercurytrap 25, andin so doing comes in contact with the amalgamated-copperpan 29 and theamalgamated-copper spheres 30 resting thereon. By the use of theamalgamated balls 30 employed in the mercury-trap any particles of freeand iioured mercury are arrested.v Any accumulation of mercury upon thesolid amalgamated balls in the mercury-trap is collected by theperforated pan and drops down to the lowest point in the mercury trap,whence it passes into the pipe 31. When a sufficient amount of mercuryhas collected in the chamber or enlargement 32, l'ocated in the pipe,the ball 33 will be raised or floated by the mercury, permitting themercury to pass around it down into the chamber or pan 3. Upon en.-tering the chamber or pan 3 it will be carried to the bottom thereof bythe current set up by the material entering through the pipe 1G.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In combinationwith a closed vessel having a rounded bottom, an inlet-pipe extendinginto said vessel. and discharging against the bottom to one side of thecenter thereof, screens suspended in said vessel, and an exit-pipeextending from the vessel at that side thereof adjacent. to the inlet.

2. In combination with a closed vessel having a rounded bottom, aninlet-pipe extending into said vessel and discharging against the bottomto one side of the center thereof; screens horizontally suspended withinsaid vessel and' stopping short of the sides thereof and an exi t-pipeextending from the cover of said vessel at a point therein where thematerial passing through the vessel is relatively quiescent. Y

In combination with a closed vessel having a rounded bottom; aninlet-pipe 7 passing through the cover of said vessel and dischargingnear the bottom to one side of the center thereof; screens S and 9attached to the inlet-pipe; a support for the opposite sides of saidscreens; and an exit -pipe extending through the cover at a point inrear of the inlet-pipe and the screens.

4. In combination with a closed amalgamating vessel adapted to contain abody of mercury; an inlet-pipe withaflaring outlet; a perforated floatsupporting a cone below said outlet, said float and cone adapted to reston the mercury below the flaring outlet of the inlet-pipe, said cone andfloat being composed of amalgamated copper.

5. In combination with a closed amalgamating vessel having mercuryplaced in the bottom thereof; a float supported by the mer- IIO cury; aconical defiector carried by said float; and means for deliveringmaterial to said dei'lector.

6. In combination with a closed vessel having a rounded bottom; a bod yof mercury resting in the lower part of said Vessel; an inletpipeextending into said vessel and provided with a flaring outlet located inline with the centerof said spherical bottom; a perforatedamalgamated-copper float resting on the mercury; a conical deilectorcarried by said iloat and extending up into the outlet; and an exitpipefor said Vessel.

7. In combination with a closed amalgamating vessel having` a roundedbottom; an

inlet-pipe extending' into said vessel and dis charging near the bottomthereof; mercury contained withinthe lowerportion of said vessel; copperballs in said mercury; a screened exit-opening and hollow copperbodiesplaced in said Vessel.

8. In combination with a closed vessel having a rounded bottom; a pipeextending into the same and discharging ata point near the bottomthereof; a body of mercury in the bottom of said Vessel; copper balls insaid mer* cury; a screened outlet for said Vessel; hollow copper floatsin said vessel; an exit-pipe; a chamber formed intermediate saidexit-pipe and the screened opening; and copper balls mounted in saidchamber.

9. In combination with a closed vessel, an exit-pipe extending into saidvessel and discharging at a point near the bottom thereof; mercurycontained in said vessel copper balls placed in said mercury; hollowcopper bodies placed Within said Vessel; a screened opening for saidVessel; an exit-pipe; a chamber formed intermediate said exit-pipe andthe discharge-opening; amalgamating-surfaces contained Within saidchamber; and a mercury trap in communication with the exit-pipe.

l0. In combination with the discharge-pipe oi an amalgamatin apparatus;a closed chamber; a perforated copper screen mounted within. saidchamber; a pipe extending from said chamber at a point below saidscreen; and an automatic iioat located within said lastmentioned pipe.

ll. In combination with the dischargepipe of an amalgamator; a chamberconnected to the upper end thereof; a screen mounted Within said chamberaround the end of the exitpipe; a screen over the end of said exit-pipe;copper' balls mounted within said chamber and resting on the screen; apipe leading from the chamber at a point below the screen; and anautomatic iioat located within said pipe.

l2. In an amalgating apparatus, the combination of a closed pan orVessel means contained within said pan for disintegrating the materialforced therein; a second closed pan or vessel; a pipe extending fromsaid first Vessel into said second Vessel an amalgamating device mountedwithin said second Vessel; a third closed vessel; a pipe extending fromsaid second closed vessel to the third closed Vessel; means containedwithin said third vessel toamalgamate the metal passed therethrough; anexit-pipe for said third Vessel; a mercury-trap connected to saidexit-pipe; and a return-pipe for the mercury extending from the trapback to said third vessel.

PHILIP II. CARLYON.

lVitnesses:

J. N. ROBINSON, A. P. FITCH.

